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Staff editor vs assistant editor

The differences between staff editors and assistant editors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a staff editor and an assistant editor. Additionally, a staff editor has an average salary of $110,850, which is higher than the $52,284 average annual salary of an assistant editor.

The top three skills for a staff editor include art directors, SEO and HTML. The most important skills for an assistant editor are editorial content, video footage, and web content.

Staff editor vs assistant editor overview

Staff EditorAssistant Editor
Yearly salary$110,850$52,284
Hourly rate$53.29$25.14
Growth rate-5%-5%
Number of jobs79,3058,716
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 82%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does a staff editor do?

A staff editor is responsible for performing research and uncovering newsworthy stories. They also maintain notes in written or electronic form. They write content and contribute to content idea generation for their publication. They keep up with local, national, and international affairs so that they can write something about the issues. They must have a bachelor's degree in journalism or mass communications.

What does an assistant editor do?

An assistant editor is an individual responsible for assisting an editor-in-chief or editor-at-large of a newspaper, magazine, radio program, or website. Assistant editors hold meetings with staff and freelance writers to discuss new, fresh and original content for projects on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. They review assignments handed in by writers or reporters for sense, accuracy, readability, and content. Assistant editors must also utilize new media applications such as Twitter and Facebook to draw attention to an article or cause.

Staff editor vs assistant editor salary

Staff editors and assistant editors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Staff EditorAssistant Editor
Average salary$110,850$52,284
Salary rangeBetween $75,000 And $161,000Between $34,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City-Huntington, NY
Highest paying state-New York
Best paying company-Apple
Best paying industry-Media

Differences between staff editor and assistant editor education

There are a few differences between a staff editor and an assistant editor in terms of educational background:

Staff EditorAssistant Editor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 82%Bachelor's Degree, 81%
Most common majorEnglishEnglish
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Staff editor vs assistant editor demographics

Here are the differences between staff editors' and assistant editors' demographics:

Staff EditorAssistant Editor
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 50.2% Female, 49.8%Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between staff editor and assistant editor duties and responsibilities

Staff editor example responsibilities.

  • Manage campaign performance through data analysis and reporting, with actionable takeaways per designate KPI.
  • Read through and rate short fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry submissions from students.
  • Leverage meticulous attention to detail in technical editing and proofreading all content from project inception to completion.
  • Analyze FrameMaker source document and provide feedback to XML architects to improve accuracy of conversion.

Assistant editor example responsibilities.

  • Lead bureau newsgathering in high-pressure, breaking news situations.
  • Manage the budget for all of VOA s primary newsgathering.
  • Produce e-newsletters, manage website content, write headlines and captions, utilize SEO and analyze digital traffic.
  • Communicate with transportation managers, administrators, equipment operators and others for fulfillment of copy to achieve editorial goals.
  • Ensure compliance with PRC and FDA guidelines.
  • Increase social media presence and traffic through Facebook and Instagram.
  • Show more

Staff editor vs assistant editor skills

Common staff editor skills
  • Art Directors, 29%
  • SEO, 10%
  • HTML, 9%
  • CMS, 6%
  • Web Content, 6%
  • Music Videos, 4%
Common assistant editor skills
  • Editorial Content, 9%
  • Video Footage, 8%
  • Web Content, 5%
  • Media Management, 4%
  • Production Process, 4%
  • Twitter, 3%

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